General Studies, Mass Communications, AS

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PURPOSE: The associate of science curriculum in general studies with a specialization in mass communications is designed for students who plan to transfer to four-year colleges or universities and seek a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on media, advertising, or public relations. This program is intended to provide students with a general course of study that parallels the freshman and sophomore years at most colleges and universities. The courses in this program are specifically selected for ease of transfer to most four-year colleges and universities. Following the prescribed coursework in this program will result in graduation with the associate of science degree (A.S.). Students should consult with their advisors to ensure that they select general electives that best prepare them for the specific requirements of their intended transfer college or university programs of study.

By the completion of this program, students will be expected to demonstrate an intermediate level of competency in the following skills:

Show introductory knowledge of information literacy in the context of mass media.
Communicate effectively in written and oral contexts, and using credible sources.
Demonstrate introductory knowledge of public relations as a marketing activity.
Prepare a public relations campaign to include research, planning, design, and implementation.
Conduct a journalistic interview.
Write different types of news stories, adapting for content to context, medium, and audience.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Students must meet JTCC admission requirements. Students may need to complete placement tests in English and mathematics. Visit www.jtcc.edu/placement for all course placement options. If students have deficiencies in English and/or mathematics, JTCC offers developmental and prerequisite courses to prepare students for the curriculum. New students should visit the Advising Center and returning students their faculty advisor for more information.

Text in italics and parentheses indicates approved course substitutions. Pre-requisite and co-requisite requirements can be found in course details.

Required Courses

SDV 100 - College Success Skills 1 credit
ENG 111 - College Composition I 3 credits
MTH 154 - Quantitative Reasoning 3 credits
CST 100 - Principles of Public Speaking 3 credits
HIS 121 - United States History I 3 credits
ENG 112 - College Composition II 3 credits
CST 114 - Survey of Mass Media 3 credits
SPA 101 - Beginning Spanish I 4 credits or
FRE 101 - Beginning French I 4 credits or
Approved Elective
HIS 122 - United States History II 3 credits
PLS 135 - American National Politics 3 credits
ENG 241 - Survey of American Literature I 3 credits or
ENG 242 - Survey of American Literature II 3 credits
MTH 245 - Statistics l 3 credits
SPA 102 - Beginning Spanish II 4 credits ³ or
FRE 102 - Beginning French II 4 credits ³ or
Approved Elective
ART 180 - Introduction to Computer Graphics 3 credits or
ART 208 - Video Techniques 3 credtis or
PHT 164 - Introduction to Digital Photography 3 credits
CST 221 - Public Relations 3 credits
CST 295 - Writing Across Media 3 credits
ECO 120 - Survey of Economics 3 credits ⁴ or
ECO 201 - Principles of Macroeconomics 3 credits ⁴

Laboratory Elective (choose 1): 4 Credits

^{See Note 2}

BIO 101 - General Biology I 4 credits
CHM 101 - Introductory Chemistry I 4 credits
ENV 121 - General Environmental Science I 4 credits
PHY 101 - Introduction to Physics I 4 credits

Laboratory Elective (choose 1): 4 Credits

^{See Note 2}

BIO 102 - General Biology II 4 credits
CHM 101 - Introductory Chemistry I 4 credits
ENV 121 - General Environmental Science I 4 credits
PHY 101 - Introduction to Physics I 4 credits

Approved Elective (choose 1): 3 Credits

^{See Note 2}

ACC 211 - Principles of Accounting I 3 credits
ECO 202 - Principles of Microeconomics 3 credits
HLT 160 - Personal Health and Fitness 3 credits
ITE 115 - Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts 3 credits or
ITE 119 - Information Literacy 3 credits
PHI 220 - Ethics 3 credits
PSY 200 - Principles of Psychology 3 credits
REL 230 - Religions of the World 3 credits
SOC 200 - Principles of Sociology 3 credits

Total Minimum Credits to Complete: 60

NOTES:

¹Students are strongly encouraged to complete their SDV, ENG, and MTH requirements first.

²Students should consult with their academic advisor and check with prospective four-year institutions to determine best options for transfer.

³Students who completed three years of the same foreign language in high school have met the foreign language requirement and must take two courses from the Approved Electives list instead of SPA or FRE 101 -FRE 102 . Heritage or conversationally fluent Spanish speakers may enroll directly into SPA or FRE 102 . Please check with your advisor to determine the best option(s) for course substitution or if you wish to take a foreign language other than Spanish or French.

⁴Students taking ECO 201 may also be required to take ECO 202 . See your academic advisor.

⁵Transfer institutions may have computer competency or health/physical education requirements. Students must consult with their academic advisor to determine the best options for transfer.

⁶Students should regularly meet with their faculty advisor, confirm requirements at desired four-year institution, and check their advisement report in MyTyler – SIS.